Gavin Floyd

For Gavin Floyd, it's a simple formula for success: Think less. Let loose. Pound the strike zone. Floyd, who had enjoyed little success against the Atlanta Braves in his short career, showed some positive signs last night at Turner Field, where he allowed three runs in six innings in a closer-than-it-needed-to-be 7-6 victory over the Braves. The win proved to be an important one, and not only for Floyd. The Phillies won their first series of the season, improved to 3-6, and flew to Denver last night with a little momentum before they open a three-game series tonight against the Rockies at Coors Field.

The Phillies and first-round draft pick Gavin Floyd are playing a high-stakes game of chicken, and both sides have a lot to lose. With just two days remaining before classes start at the University of South Carolina, Floyd, 18, who was the fourth overall selection in this year's draft, remained unsigned last night and was planning to travel from his home in Severna Park, Md., to the college campus in Columbia, S.C. Rodney Floyd said his...

When Gavin Floyd, the Phillies' first-round draft choice, and his brother Mike made the nine-hour drive Wednesday from their home in Severna Park, Md., to the University of South Carolina, they did what all incoming college students do upon reaching campus. No, they didn't unpack the hot plates and mini-microwaves. Didn't get out the Limp Bizkit posters and put together the cinder-block and wood-plank shelves. They checked into a Columbia, S.C., hotel. Gavin was scheduled to begin his freshman year Thursday with an 8 a.m. class called, "University," which is essentially an orientation program.

To paraphrase Yogi Berra, it ain't over till the kid goes to class. And Gavin Floyd clearly was more interested in Professional Pitching 101 than anything he could have learned at the University of South Carolina. One day after the Phillies said they were finished negotiating with their first-round draft pick, the representative for the Floyd family contacted the team and said the family wanted to reopen the talks. By 11:30 last night, the sides had agreed on a $4.2 million signing bonus that will allow the 18-year-old righthander to begin pursuit of his big-league dream.

A pair of former Phillies righthanders went to American League contenders in separate deals yesterday. The Boston Red Sox acquired Paul Byrd from Cleveland, hoping to boost a rotation hurt by an injury to Tim Wakefield and the struggles of Clay Buchholz. And the Detroit Tigers signed free agent Freddy Garcia, who last pitched in the majors with the Phillies in June 2007 and required shoulder surgery shortly afterward. The 37-year-old Byrd is 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA. But he has won all four of his starts since the all-star break with a 1.24 ERA. Garcia, a two-time all-star, agreed to a minor-league contract with the Tigers.

LOUISVILLE - In his first start since being optioned to triple A, Gavin Floyd pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts last night as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons beat the Louisville Bats, 5-1, in the International League. The former Phillies righthander allowed seven hits, a run and a walk. Reading 4, Binghamton 3 READING - Scott Mathieson struck out eight in eight innings and ripped a two-run homer as the Phillies beat the Mets in the Eastern League. Tim Moss' solo homer in the eighth proved to be the game-winner.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Gavin Floyd's record fell to 0-4 and his earned run average rose to 9.16 as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons lost to the Rochester Red Wings last night, 11-5, in the International League. Staked to a 2-0 lead, Floyd gave up two runs in the fifth inning and departed after Rob Bowen's bases-loaded triple in the sixth. Former Phillie Bud Smith got the win. Erie 6, Reading 4 READING - Don Kelly had two doubles and drove in three runs to lead the Sea Wolves past the Phillies in the Eastern League.

The Phillies officially introduced new righthanded reliever Roberto Hernandez yesterday, and he reiterated his excitement about next season. Hernandez, 39, signed a one-year contract for $750,000 on Monday. "What separates this team right now in my eyes," he said, "is you have four quality starters right now and one that is undecided. You should never go in a slump if you have those types of pitchers in your rotation. " The Phillies' rotation includes Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla, Eric Milton and Brett Myers.

OTTAWA, Ontario - Former Phillies pitcher Gavin Floyd tossed six solid innings and Ryan Sweeney homered and drove in two runs as the Charlotte Knights beat the Ottawa Lynx, 3-1, last night in the International League. The Lynx are the Phillies' triple-A affiliate. Floyd allowed a run on five hits and three walks. He struck out six in his first win in three starts. Brennan King went 2 for 4 with an RBI for the Lynx, whose winning streak ended at four games. They suffered their first home loss of the season.

When the time comes, Gavin Floyd wants to be ready. That is why he is spending his summer working out five days a week, not at home on the couch. Floyd expects more from himself than to waste the summer away. He expects improvement. "I'm not sure what to expect of the future," he said. "But I know it's going to be a big step up. " The Phillies selected Floyd, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound righthanded pitcher from Mount St. Joseph High School in Baltimore, with the fourth overall pick in the first-year player draft last month.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The first at-bat of the bottom of the first inning in an otherwise forgettable Grapefruit League game between the Nationals and Braves yesterday actually had longstanding connections to the Phillies' past - and possible ripple effects on the franchise's future. Gio Gonzalez took the mound for the Nationals. Michael Bourn stepped in the batter's box for the Braves. Both are former Phillies farmhands who developed into All-Stars for other clubs, and both are central figures in the National League East race this season.

Chicago might not be the most logical place to start when looking at the Phillies' recent acquisition of Roy Oswalt, but for those who are interested in the decision-making that went into the deal, it was impossible to ignore the White Sox' 4-1 victory over the Athletics. On an otherwise anonymous Sunday afternoon, two young starters making $3.15 million between them combined to throw 15 innings, with five earned runs, 10 hits and 16 strikeouts between them. The performances would be irrelevant, except for one fact: Four years ago, A's lefthander Gio Gonzalez and White Sox righthander Gavin Floyd were both in the Phillies' farm system.

YOU KNOW all the cliches about baseball trades. The best trades are the ones that help both teams. They happen, but not all that often. Usually one team gets the bull and the other one gets the horn. And in this era of the salary dumps of megabuck veterans being passed on to contenders for a package of untested minor league prospects, there is a two-way peril. Sometimes, the veteran counted on to earn his inflated salary in return for pitching your team into the postseason, becomes an Inglorious Basterd.

Mike Arbuckle had just emerged from the Phillies' draft room to talk about the team's 2001 first-round pick, Gavin Floyd, a high school pitcher from Mount St. Joseph's High School in Baltimore. When the Phillies' scouting director finished, he told the gathered media members that Marti Wolever, the team's national crosschecker and scouting coordinator, would run the remainder of the draft. Wolever had time to think about his first selection in his new role because the Phillies did not have a second- or third-round pick after signing free agents Rheal Cormier and Jose Mesa the previous winter.

2001: The Phillies made a good defensive team even better with the debut of 22-year-old rookie Jimmy Rollins as their everyday shortstop. Rollins finished third in the league among shortstops in fielding percentage and served as the team's sole representative in the All-Star Game. Third baseman Scott Rolen combined with Rollins to form an airtight left side of the infield and ended the season winning his third Gold Glove Award. The Phillies also had a fine defensive presence in centerfielder Doug Glanville.

A pair of former Phillies righthanders went to American League contenders in separate deals yesterday. The Boston Red Sox acquired Paul Byrd from Cleveland, hoping to boost a rotation hurt by an injury to Tim Wakefield and the struggles of Clay Buchholz. And the Detroit Tigers signed free agent Freddy Garcia, who last pitched in the majors with the Phillies in June 2007 and required shoulder surgery shortly afterward. The 37-year-old Byrd is 7-10 with a 4.53 ERA. But he has won all four of his starts since the all-star break with a 1.24 ERA. Garcia, a two-time all-star, agreed to a minor-league contract with the Tigers.

Gio Gonzalez didn't get a chance to show his stuff for the Phillies. Gonzalez, who came to the Phillies in 2005 from the White Sox in the Jim Thome trade and returned to Chicago with Gavin Floyd in the Freddy Garcia trade a little more than a year later, had a shaky first inning, but suffered a loss in his major league debut as the visiting Oakland Athletics lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-1, last night. Rod Barajas, another former Phillie, hit a three-run homer, Shaun Marcum pitched seven strong innings and Toronto extended the Athletics' losing streak to nine games.

The Phillies came up empty before Thursday's non-waiver trade deadline, but they continue to look for pitching help. Here are two intriguing names: Righthander Freddy Garcia. Lefthander Scott Eyre. Garcia is making a comeback after shoulder surgery last year. The Phillies sent minor-league pitching coordinator Gorman Heimueller to watch Garcia throw yesterday at the University of Miami. Assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. hadn't received a report on how Garcia threw.

ERA is BAD Of the teams in baseball that have a winning record, the Phillies are the only one with only one starting pitcher with an ERA of lower than 4.37. That's the disparity from Cole Hamels (2.61) to Jamie Moyer after Moyer got his ERA down to 4.37 from 4.89 with Wednesday night's six-inning shutout in Washington. With that as the context, here's your latest The Ones Who Got Away or Were Sent Away update: Former Phillies starter Kyle Lohse, let go to the Cardinals, hasn't turned out to be a savior.

Now, maybe the Chicago White Sox can get some respect. Gavin Floyd flirted with a no-hitter into the ninth inning as the White Sox downed the visiting Minnesota Twins, 7-1, last night. Joe Mauer doubled with one out off Chicago's young righthander for the Twins' only hit, but the White Sox ended a six-game losing streak. Floyd (3-1) was taken out to a standing ovation after Mauer's double to left-center, and Bobby Jenks came on to get the final two outs. Floyd, a former Phillie who held Detroit hitless for 7 1/3 innings on April 12 before Edgar Renteria singled, walked three and struck out four.